Highly Decorative 1857 Olena, Kansas Territory Share Certificate

Description

Highly Decorative 1857 Olena, Kansas Territory Share Certificate
Offered for your consideration is an 1857 certificate for acreage relating to the development of a small community as America continued its westward expansion. The central vignette depicts a spread-winged eagle, with stars and a sunburst behind. One of the eagle’s talons grips an olive branch, while the other holds a bundle of arrows. A ribbon, bearing the motto “
E PLURIBUS UNUM
”, can be seen in the eagle’s beak. Immediately above this patriotic motif is printed “
OLENA, KANSAS TERR.
”, while an additional statement, presented in a wavy inscription, announces the size of the transaction as “
SIX HUNDRED AND FORTY ACRES, THREE HUNDRED AND TWENTY SHARES
”. A lengthy obligation follows, stating that “
This Entitles the Bona fide holder to SIX UNDIVIDED LOTS in the Town of OLENA, Nemaha County, K. T., to be drawn whenever a majority of the Certificates shall determine.
”. It further indicates that “
This Certificate must be governed by the present Rules and By=Laws of the Company, subject to such changes as may from time to time be made.
”, followed by the signatures of “
John Laslie
” and “
H. R. Morgan
”, in their capacities as “
Pres’t.
” and “
Sec’y.
”, respectively. The document is dated at the conclusion “
Olena K T Feby 2
185
7
”. A printed “
EXPLANATION
” states that “
Olena is situated in Township No. 3, in Range No. 13, in Nemaha county, Kansas Territory, being nearly in the geographical centre of said county; contains 640 acres, or 2,220 lots, 300 of which are to be given to the county in case the County Seat is located there, besides public grounds for Court House and Park. Timber and Stonecoal are abundant in close proximity to the site.
”. All of the foregoing elements are enclosed in a highly decorative frame, with a Tom Thumb style train at the top and a row of devilish faces (these would be use on some Louisiana parish notes during the impending Civil War) across the bottom. Printed in red and blue ink on white paper, this piece was produced by the “
ADVERTISER
/
JOB OFFICE
/
BROWNVILLE,
N. T.
” as evidenced by their imprint at the bottom center. The back of the document is blank. A fantastic item for display, as well as a great research project (see below). It is not known how many of these attractive pieces were made and distributed, but this is the first and only one that the seller has encountered. A super piece of pre-Civil War Americana.
Cursory research has failed to locate the town of Olena, Kansas, or any other period references to that entity. There are a few small references to the two signers of this document, though these seem only to indicate that they were voters in or associated with Kansas.
The presently offered piece shows signs of period use, though it still exhibits lovely eye appeal and has great historical interest. Toning is present across the entire surface, imparting to the paper an off-white appearance. This toning is somewhat darker along the two horizontal folds, with both the front and back being highlighted. These folds have caused some weakening of the paper, with minor loss noted at the edges (these could be strengthened with archival tape if desired). Two small pinholes can be seen at the top and bottom, with one hole noted in each. There are two corner folds noted, with the other two being somewhat darkened. The contrast appears somewhat light in places, though this may be due to the amount of ink originally applied. Measuring approximately 7¾ x 9½ inches, this piece would look great if framed (many of the condition issues could be hidden with a mat). A super display item.
A .95 charge will be added to the winning bid for postage and insurance.
A .00 charge will be added to any item picked up in person at our physical location.
If you have any questions regarding this item, please ask before purchasing.
Buy or Bid with Confidence – American Coins & Collectibles President Richie Self has worked 6 years as a paper money grader/authenticator. He has contributed to numerous reference books within the industry, as well as being a co-author of “The Comprehensive Catalog and History of Confederate Bonds, 2
nd
Edition” with Douglas B. Ball, Ph.D., Henry F. Simmons, M.D., Ph.D. and James R. Desabaye. Mr. Self is a life member of the American Numismatic Association, the Society of Paper Money Collectors, as well as numerous regional numismatic associations. He is an authorized submitter to NGC, PCGS, and PMG, a diamond founding member of Coin Dealers Helping Coin Dealers and a supporter of the Industry Council for Tangible Assets. American Coins and Collectibles can be found at many of the state and local coin shows.
American Coins and Collectibles
Shreveport, LA